Al Maryah Central to commence vertical construction this month

Gulf Related today announced that vertical construction on Al Maryah Central, a 2.3-million-square-foot super-regional shopping center located at the core of Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, will commence this month. Gulf Related has selected Brookfield Multiplex as the main contractor responsible for completion of the $1 billion Al Maryah Central development.

The $425 million construction contract designates Brookfield Multiplex to construct Gulf Related’s 2.3-million-square-foot regional mall. When completed in March 2018, the Al Maryah Central mall will feature the first Macy’s outside of the United States, the first Bloomingdale’s in Abu Dhabi and 20 specialist Al Tayer stores as part of the 400-store strong retail offering. In addition, Al Maryah Central will include 145 restaurants and cafés, a 20-screen cinema complex, a medical center, a crèche, a health club, a public library, a food market and three rooftop parks atop the mall.

Subsequent phases of the development will include residential units, as well as a hotel, in two high-rise towers. The development broke ground in November 2014 and the excavation of the Al Maryah Central site and foundation construction work has already been completed. Brookfield Multiplex’s contract covers the remaining full construction of the retail mall, with vertical construction commencing in August 2015 and full completion prior to the mall’s March 2018 opening date.

Kevin Ryan, managing director of real estate development at Gulf Related, said, “We are thrilled to reach another milestone with vertical construction commencing this month. Al Maryah Central is set to become the urban centre of Abu Dhabi, providing an unrivalled retail, leisure and entertainment destination to serve the needs of Abu Dhabi’s fast growing community. A project of this ambition, size and complexity needs the technical expertise and large-scale mixed-use construction experience that Brookfield Multiplex offers. As one of the premium construction firms in the region, Brookfield Multiplex has worked on some of the most renowned structures in the GCC and internationally. We are delighted to have them lead this critical phase.”

Marcus Truscott, managing director of Brookfield Multiplex Middle East, said, “It is a great honor to be partnering with Gulf Related and to play such an important role in the construction of this iconic development. Al Maryah Central will transform the retail landscape in Abu Dhabi and positively shift people’s perceptions of urban life in the region.”

Brookfield Multiplex is an international contractor whose projects in the Middle East have included Emirates Towers and The Gate at DIFC in Dubai, as well as the Eastern Mangroves complex in Abu Dhabi. It is well-known internationally for the rebuilding of London's Wembley Stadium and for building King Street Wharf in Sydney.

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About Al Maryah Central:
Al Maryah Central is a 3.1-million-square-foot retail-led, mixed-use development that is owned and managed by Gulf Related, the joint venture partnership between Gulf Capital and Related Companies. Al Maryah Central will include a 2.3-million-square-foot shopping centre anchored by Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s department stores, opening in Q1 2018, and two 400,000-square-foot integrated towers set for completion by 2019—one with a hotel and serviced apartments and the other with luxury residences. The development will be fully connected across Al Maryah Island with air-conditioned access to The Galleria, the capital’s luxury shopping and dining destination; Abu Dhabi Global Market Square, the international financial centre in the capital city; two luxury hotels—The Rosewood and Four Seasons Hotel (scheduled for completion in 2016); Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a world-class, 364-bed multi-specialty hospital; and the new headquarters of Al Hilal Bank’s.

About Gulf Related:
Gulf Related is a regional real estate development company focused on retail, residential and high-end mixed-use real estate developments in the GCC. Gulf Related represents a joint venture between Gulf Capital, one of the GCC’s leading alternative asset management firms, and Related Companies, one of the largest private real estate development and investment firms in the United States.

About Brookfield Multiplex:
Brookfield Multiplex is a leading global contractor with over 50 years’ experience delivering complex landmark buildings and infrastructure assets across the Middle East, Europe, Canada and Australasia. The company was one of the first international construction firms to establish offices in the Middle East during the late 1990s, and has since built a reputation for fast delivery and high quality through the design and construction of some of the most challenging projects in the region.